Official White House Photo by Pete Souza(WASHINGTON) -- President Obama will deliver his State of the Union address on Feb. 12, before a joint session of Congress. The president on Friday accepted the annual invitation from the House speaker to do so.

In his invitation to President Obama, Speaker of the House John Boehner said the American people expect those in Washington to work together toward meaningful solutions to the country's problems.

“Our nation continues to face immense challenges,” Boehner wrote, “and the American people expect us to work together in the new year to find meaningful solutions. This will require a willingness to seek common ground as well as presidential leadership.

“For that reason, the Congress and the Nation would welcome an opportunity to hear your plan and specific solutions for addressing America’s great challenges,” he said.

This year’s State of the Union address will be several weeks later than usual, and just before the country faces yet another fiscal cliff. Except for inauguration time, Congress is mostly out of session this month.

Demand for the event stems from the U.S. Constitution which suggests the president “shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”

This will be Obama’s fourth State of the Union address. He did not deliver an address in 2009. Traditionally, a newly elected president does not deliver an address in the first year of the first term, although reelected presidents generally follow their second inauguration with a State of the Union address in the subsequent weeks.